Hazelnut, apple, vanilla - fairly developed nose, there is some smoke and with time in the glass it becomes less nutty and more honeyed which I did enjoy more. The palate is a contrast in that it is barely developed at all, there is coursing acidity and fabulous drive. Probably the bottle was not pristine but it was very good anyway.
Toast, smoke, a splash of ginger and floral notes. Lovely freshness from a fine line of acidity on the palate that combines well with the honeyed richness. Really excellent length. Different in nature to the 1992 Oenothèque I had recently, but I would suggest it is just as good if not better right now, though the future may be different.
Heavily floral nose, with melon, pineapple and honey. Powerful on the palate as well, with excellent acidity to drive towards a great length finish. Not overly complex but delicious. Much better than a bottle in 2008.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Ramonet mint, spice, lime, some peach and toast oak - very complex nose. Brilliant balance, the acidity doesn't jut out at all but it is ever present and lifts the wine brilliantly. Stayed consistent in the glass, barely budging over time. Awesome.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Herbs, smoke, lemon and grapefruit - at first the wine is a bit too cold, but with air it starts to take off and provides some explosive aromatics. Multi layered with wonderful detail and texture, there is a confident elegance to the wine with a saline character that hits exactly the right note fore me. Young but shows its brilliant potential.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Beautiful aged aromas of tea leaves, stalk, smoky meat and a touch of sweet red fruits. The palate shows remnants of its previous structure and this balanced well against the soft fruit and leathery components. Still has good length. Best when it was first poured and while it started to fade it was showing very well overall I thought.
Entrancing, enticing and unbelievably enchanting. Like skydiving rapidly toward a field of roses, with additional swirling aromas of earthy five spice, mulberry, licorice and iron. Complex and with beautiful elegance and texture, the tannins are still present and they enhance the fullness of the fruit. Incredible. Likely my top wine of 2013.
Iron and blood on the nose, with rose petal, cranberry, some light stalk, cherry and charcoal. The nose evolved continually, a chameleon, shifting and hiding - forcing you to pay attention and search for the new aromas. Youthful on the palate, there is both opulently powerful and yet maintains incredible precision and class. By far the best Mouton I've had.
Served next to the 1982 Mouton, this stood up to a legend and held its own. Graphite is prominent with black currant, cherry then a waft of florals along with a not unpleasant VA note. Finely balanced, the elements have melded together and deliver a lovely experience that isn't as complex as the nose but feels complete. Near to its peak.
Black currant, kirsch, red currant and bacon with a light sprinkling of coconut and a hint at VA. The palate is rich, full and intense - the tannin structure is brilliant, controlling and focussing the bold fruit and giving the wine drive and balance. Starting to come into its own, but will surely improve over the longer term.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Served to me double blind. Green, herbal with spice and some oak. Medium bodied with little depth and a distinct green tinge that made me think it was 04 Burgundy. Probably better than I made it sound (and I liked it more than the 04 Rousseau Chambertin), but for this producer and this price point, it is not good enough.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Served double blind. I didn't pick this as an 04 - the nose is lovely with spice, graphite, violets, cherry and raspberry. Very well balanced, has plenty of class and long length. Excellent.
A modest palate cleanser. Disgorged Summer 2012 (ID 312035), 44% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 19% Meunier. A lifted nose with lemon zest, toast, earth and vanilla. Vibrant and refreshing palate, with great focus and style. The fruit has power but the acidity takes control and drives the wine wonderfully. Another great bottle.
Peach, mandarin peel, lime, apple and light marmalade. Lovely acidity still present that works so well with the light-medium remaining sweetness - has plenty of textural interest beyond the acid and sweetness. Finishing long, it is really quite easy to love.
Mango syrup, honey, nashi pear and lemon aromas. The palate is beyond intense with sweetness that pervades every point in your mouth. Could do with more acid but I don't know if any amount of acid would be enough to counter this sweetness. Unique wine that will probably live forever.
1990 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 90 Points
France, Champagne
Hazelnut, apple, vanilla - fairly developed nose, there is some smoke and with time in the glass it becomes less nutty and more honeyed which I did enjoy more. The palate is a contrast in that it is barely developed at all, there is coursing acidity and fabulous drive. Probably the bottle was not pristine but it was very good anyway.
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1992 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon 93 Points
France, Champagne
Toast, smoke, a splash of ginger and floral notes. Lovely freshness from a fine line of acidity on the palate that combines well with the honeyed richness. Really excellent length. Different in nature to the 1992 Oenothèque I had recently, but I would suggest it is just as good if not better right now, though the future may be different.
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1998 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Domaine de la Maladière 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Heavily floral nose, with melon, pineapple and honey. Powerful on the palate as well, with excellent acidity to drive towards a great length finish. Not overly complex but delicious. Much better than a bottle in 2008.
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2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos Flawed
France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis Grand Cru
Corked or a similar fault.
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2009 Domaine Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
Ramonet mint, spice, lime, some peach and toast oak - very complex nose. Brilliant balance, the acidity doesn't jut out at all but it is ever present and lifts the wine brilliantly. Stayed consistent in the glass, barely budging over time. Awesome.
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2008 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet 94 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru
Herbs, smoke, lemon and grapefruit - at first the wine is a bit too cold, but with air it starts to take off and provides some explosive aromatics. Multi layered with wonderful detail and texture, there is a confident elegance to the wine with a saline character that hits exactly the right note fore me. Young but shows its brilliant potential.
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1976 Charles Noellat Clos Vougeot 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru
Beautiful aged aromas of tea leaves, stalk, smoky meat and a touch of sweet red fruits. The palate shows remnants of its previous structure and this balanced well against the soft fruit and leathery components. Still has good length. Best when it was first poured and while it started to fade it was showing very well overall I thought.
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1982 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo 97 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco
Entrancing, enticing and unbelievably enchanting. Like skydiving rapidly toward a field of roses, with additional swirling aromas of earthy five spice, mulberry, licorice and iron. Complex and with beautiful elegance and texture, the tannins are still present and they enhance the fullness of the fruit. Incredible. Likely my top wine of 2013.
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1982 Château Mouton Rothschild 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Iron and blood on the nose, with rose petal, cranberry, some light stalk, cherry and charcoal. The nose evolved continually, a chameleon, shifting and hiding - forcing you to pay attention and search for the new aromas. Youthful on the palate, there is both opulently powerful and yet maintains incredible precision and class. By far the best Mouton I've had.
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1975 Penfolds Grange 93 Points
Australia, South Australia
Served next to the 1982 Mouton, this stood up to a legend and held its own. Graphite is prominent with black currant, cherry then a waft of florals along with a not unpleasant VA note. Finely balanced, the elements have melded together and deliver a lovely experience that isn't as complex as the nose but feels complete. Near to its peak.
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1999 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 94 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Black currant, kirsch, red currant and bacon with a light sprinkling of coconut and a hint at VA. The palate is rich, full and intense - the tannin structure is brilliant, controlling and focussing the bold fruit and giving the wine drive and balance. Starting to come into its own, but will surely improve over the longer term.
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2004 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru
Served to me double blind. Green, herbal with spice and some oak. Medium bodied with little depth and a distinct green tinge that made me think it was 04 Burgundy. Probably better than I made it sound (and I liked it more than the 04 Rousseau Chambertin), but for this producer and this price point, it is not good enough.
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2004 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Clos de la Roche 91 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Served double blind. I didn't pick this as an 04 - the nose is lovely with spice, graphite, violets, cherry and raspberry. Very well balanced, has plenty of class and long length. Excellent.
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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée 94 Points
France, Champagne
A modest palate cleanser. Disgorged Summer 2012 (ID 312035), 44% Pinot Noir, 37% Chardonnay and 19% Meunier. A lifted nose with lemon zest, toast, earth and vanilla. Vibrant and refreshing palate, with great focus and style. The fruit has power but the acidity takes control and drives the wine wonderfully. Another great bottle.
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1976 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Peach, mandarin peel, lime, apple and light marmalade. Lovely acidity still present that works so well with the light-medium remaining sweetness - has plenty of textural interest beyond the acid and sweetness. Finishing long, it is really quite easy to love.
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2005 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel #9 Flawed
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Lightly corked.
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2005 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Goldkapsel 91 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Mango syrup, honey, nashi pear and lemon aromas. The palate is beyond intense with sweetness that pervades every point in your mouth. Could do with more acid but I don't know if any amount of acid would be enough to counter this sweetness. Unique wine that will probably live forever.
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